People using at least a basic drinking water source in South Korea
South Korea: People using at least a basic drinking water source was 51.72 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
51.72 million people
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
24th
of 231 countries
All-time high
51.76 million people
in 2021
All-time low
46.72 million people
in 2002
Years of data
23
2002–2024
People using at least a basic drinking water source in South Korea, 2002–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 51.72 million people for people using at least a basic drinking water source in 2024.
The figure is up 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using at least a basic drinking water source in South Korea peaked at 51.76 million people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 46.72 million people, in 2002.
South Korea ranks 24th of 231 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
People using at least a basic drinking water source in South Korea, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 46.72 million people | — |
| 2003 | 46.93 million people | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 47.11 million people | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 47.26 million people | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 47.41 million people | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 47.62 million people | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 47.83 million people | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 48.05 million people | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 48.31 million people | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 48.70 million people | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 49.20 million people | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 49.70 million people | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 50.20 million people | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 50.68 million people | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 51.03 million people | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 51.26 million people | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 51.45 million people | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 51.61 million people | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 51.74 million people | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 51.76 million people | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 51.74 million people | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 51.74 million people | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 51.72 million people | -0.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 51.72 million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.05 million people, 17.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 51.72 million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.22 million people, 42.3× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 47.37 million people | 46.72 million people | 48.05 million people | 8 |
| 2010s | 50.21 million people | 48.31 million people | 51.61 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.74 million people | 51.72 million people | 51.76 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More environment data for South Korea
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.2791 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -2.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -0.2415 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people using at least a basic drinking water source in South Korea?
- People using at least a basic drinking water source in South Korea was 51.72 million people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 51.76 million people in 2021.
- What is the lowest people using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.72 million people in 2002.
- How does South Korea rank for people using at least a basic drinking water source?
- South Korea ranks 24th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People using at least a basic drinking water source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people using an improved drinking water source, which is either available on premises, or collection time is no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.